Zhitong Finance App News, Stone Technology (688169.SH) released its 2023 annual report. During the reporting period, the company achieved operating income of 8.654 billion yuan, an increase of 30.55%; net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was 2,051 billion yuan, an increase of 73.32% year on year; net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies after deducting non-recurring profit and loss was 1,826 billion yuan, an increase of 52.46% year on year; basic earnings per share were 15.66 yuan/share.

In 2023, the company plans to distribute profits based on the total share capital registered on the share registration date for implementing equity distribution after deducting the number of shares in the company's special repurchase account. The profit distribution plan is as follows: Based on the total share capital registered on the share registration date of equity distribution after deducting the number of shares in the company's special repurchase account, it is proposed to distribute a cash dividend of 4.68 yuan (tax included) per share to all shareholders. The company plans to transfer 4 shares for every 10 shares to all shareholders using capital reserves.

In the global market, in 2023, the company actively implemented the “going global” strategy. With outstanding product performance and technical advantages, the company's products continued to enhance product competitiveness and build a high-end brand image. Overseas revenue grew rapidly, and its market share continued to rise.

In the domestic market, in the face of consumers' continuous pursuit of high-performance, cost-effective and high-quality products, the company adheres to the corporate vision of “becoming the world's leading technological home appliance company and making life more qualitative”. Focusing on the real pain points of consumers, we launch products that can solve consumers' life problems and meet the needs of consumers. During the reporting period, the company launched a number of new products, and the price range of sweeper products was further improved, which promoted the improvement of the company's business performance and profitability, and the number of sweepers was released. Furthermore, floor scrubbers and new categories of all-in-one washers and dryers performed admirably, effectively expanding the product line and reflecting the company's strength in scientific and technological innovation and market development.

During the reporting period, a variety of high-performance robot vacuum products, floor washer products, and various all-in-one molecular sieve washing and drying machines were launched, which received good market recognition. At the same time, the company has also established a complete technology protection system to ensure the existence and stability of technical barriers through patent applications and technical secret protection. During the reporting period, R&D investment was 619 million yuan, an increase of 26.69% over the previous year; at the end of the reporting period, 622 R&D personnel were employed, and 522 new domestic and foreign authorized patents were obtained. The company will continue to iterate on key technologies to build core product competitiveness.

In terms of overseas markets, the company uses potential market size and high-quality products to focus on developing the US, Europe and Asia Pacific markets. The company has gradually established a global distribution network. Up to now, the company's products cover more than 170 countries and regions around the world, and more than 15 million households have used stone sweeping robots to enjoy the beautiful life brought about by technological innovation. At the same time, the company has set up local branches and overseas companies in major overseas markets to enhance its market position and provide better after-sales service. Currently, the company has set up overseas companies in the US, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, South Korea, etc., and opened online brand stores on online platforms such as Amazon, Home Depot, Target, Bestbuy, and WalMart in the US. The company first entered the US offline physical retail chain Target in 2023, and has won wide consumer recognition through continuous brand investment.

The new smart sweeper robot G20 series, P10 series, and floor washer A10 series have received good reviews, further deepened users' awareness of the company's brand, and continued to increase the company's market share. According to data from Aowei Cloud Network, in 2023, the company's share of retail sales of sweeping robots in the online market reached 23.89%, an increase of 2.61 percentage points over the previous year.